Coventry Telegraph Letters: 'Rail expert' should study the timetable

MARTIN Bagot’s piece in the Telegraph on HS2 (December 31) highlighted the comments of William Barter a “respected rail expert“ who has claimed that the controversial line could revolutionise travel for the people of Coventry and Warwickshire.

MARTIN Bagot’s piece in the Telegraph on HS2 (December 31) highlighted the comments of William Barter a “respected rail expert“ who has claimed that the controversial line could revolutionise travel for the people of Coventry and Warwickshire.

In the same breath Mr Barter says that he “can’t see any way” that the number of fast services from Coventry to London will remain at three per hour once HS2 has been built and suggests that the people of Coventry should use the HS2 station near the NEC if they want to use “faster” trains. That is just the sort of revolution to services that local opponents of HS2 have been worried about.

Mr Barter is also quoted as saying “if you live in Coventry now, there isn’t a train to Milton Keynes”. I suggest he checks out the Trainline website where the details of the numerous direct trains between Coventry and Milton Keynes can be found.

If the government is listening to “experts” like Mr Barter then it wouldn’t be any surprise if they were still considering pressing on with the crackpot £33billion scheme.